Shades of Gray: National Security and the Evolution of Space ReconnaissanceThe United States has developed the most expensive and capable reconnaissance satellites the world has ever seen. American satellites can photograph terrorist bases, listen in on radio conversations, sniff out clandestine nuclear tests and spot rocket launches anywhere in the world. The goal of these assets, simply put, is to prevent surprises. In Shades of Gray, Dr. L. Parker Temple III describes the development of these capabilities in unprecedented historical detail and context. He taps recently declassified documents and melds them with his own behind-the-scenes experiences as an Air Force space expert at the Pentagon in the 1980s. In this work, Temple tracks the evolution of space reconnaissance systems from their seeds in the painful lessons of Pearl Harbor through the challenges of today. More than any other book, Shades of Gray places development of these capabilities into their proper context with the overall U.S. space program. |
Contents
Threat Evolution | 3 |
Rise of Strategic Forces | 11 |
Airborne Reconnaissance Before the U2 | 23 |
Unsteady Rise of Science Advice | 43 |
Technological Capabilities Pave the Way | 55 |
Doctrine Policy and Organization | 73 |
Overflight Goes Away But the Threat Remains | 91 |
Space Reconnaissance and Human Spaceflight | 127 |
Policy and Doctrine | 293 |
Square Pegs and Finding Niches | 313 |
Military Human SpaceflightMoth to the Flame | 403 |
Old Plans Are No PlansThe Search for Relevance | 453 |
One for All and All for One | 469 |
Getting the Doctrine Right | 563 |
Endgame | 585 |
Conclusion | 593 |
Missiles and Interservice Conflict | 181 |
Organization Congress and the Beginnings | 191 |
Supporting Materials 613 | |
Common terms and phrases
86th Congress ABMA Administrator Aeronautics aerospace agency air defense Air Force Space Air Force's aircraft Army ARPA Astronautics Aviation Week ballistic missile bombers booster budget capability Charyk Chiefs of Staff Committee CORONA cost Deputy Director doctrine DYNA-SOAR effort Eisenhower flight GEMINI Glennan gram HQ NASA human spaceflight ICBM intelligence Joint Chiefs Killian Kistiakowsky launch vehicle McElroy McNamara Memorandum MIDAS military space program mission NASA NASA's National Reconnaissance Office national security space national space needed NORAD nuclear operational orbit organization overflights payload Pentagon President problems Project radar reconnaissance satellites requirements research and development responsibility robotic spacecraft SAMOS SAMOS E-5 Satellite Program Secretary of Defense shuttle Soviet Union Space Command Space Plan space station space systems Space Technology spacecraft threat tion TITAN TITAN III U.S. Air Force U.S. Congress U.S. space United Washington weapons Week and Space York